Norwegian Air in three-year deal with Scandinavian pilots

OSLO, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Norwegian Air Shuttle has agreed a three-year collective labour deal with its Scandinavian pilots, allowing the budget carrier to continue to grow, it said on Wednesday.

“The agreement will provide the Norwegian Group with predictability and stability during the period,” it added.

A growing shortage of pilots across Europe has forced several airlines, including Norwegian Air and competitor Ryanair , to cancel flights in recent months, and has led to staff poaching among carriers.

The framework deal, encompassing 1,000 pilots, or about one-third of Norwegian’s worldwide total, is still subject to local adjustments and will be put to a referendum among union members, a spokesman said.

The agreement with Norwegian, Swedish and Danish pilots gives competitive terms and conditions, the company added, though it declined to say how it would impact costs.

“This is very good news for us,” a company spokesman said.

Labour unions were not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Joachim Dagenborg, writing by Terje Solsvik and Louise Heavens)